I really loved training with my Preggie belt during my pregnancy and a month postpartum. I also used it on those long working days when I felt I needed a little bit of extra support.

Why use a Preggie belt?

1. It can help with pain management.

During pregnancy a hormone, relaxin, relaxes the ligaments in the pelvis and makes the joints in the pelvis less stable. Even though we are very thankful for this hormone, an unstable pelvis can result in pelvis or lower back pain in some pregnant women. Wearing a Preggie belt during high demand activities alleviates the load on these joints and gives more support.

2. It can help to facilitate a good posture.

A Preggie belt provide external cues to your body to facilitate proper posture. By supporting the lower back and torso, Preggie belts encourage correct posture and prevent overextension of the lower back. While using the belt you should not relax all your stabilizer muscles but rather activate them to work with the belt.

3. It continues to help with support after pregnancy.

Many women find that wearing a Preggie belt postpartum provides additional support to the abdomen and lower back, decreasing discomfort. It definitely helped me to be able to go for longer outdoor walks without pelvic pain. A Preggie belt can be beneficial to women who have experienced a separation of the abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) by physically bringing the abdominal muscles back together. Combined with specific exercises, this may assist in closing the gap between the abdominal muscles.

Things to remember when you use your Preggie belt:

•              Don’t wear your belt for more than 2-3 hours at a time. You don’t want to become dependent on the external support. You still want to use your stabilizer muscles to support you.
•              Always continue to do exercises to strengthen you transversus abdominis (trunk stabilizer muscle) and pelvic floor muscles during and after pregnancy.
•              First consult your doctor if you have compromised circulation or abnormal blood pressure, before using a Preggie belt.                    
•             Preggie belts are for temporary use and are not a permanent fix. It’s important to address the underlying dysfunction. Make an appointment with us for a complete assessment and to discuss treatment options.